The 'Lord of the Rings' TV Series Just Became Your Most Anticipated Show of 2021

When Hollywood isn't bringing back beloved television series such as Daria and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or spinning off huge hits like Game of Thrones, it's taking successful films to the small screen — with Lord of the Rings the next set to make the leap from the page to the cinema to your TV.

As first announced late last year, a television version of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels is in the works courtesy of Amazon Studios, the Tolkien Estate and Trust, publisher HarperCollins and Warner Bros. Entertainment's New Line Cinema. After acquiring the global rights to turn the franchise into a TV series in November, the group will now move ahead, with JD Payne and Patrick McKay (writers with credits on the upcoming Star Trek 4 and Jungle Cruise) chosen to develop the series.

The announcement was made at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour, which is currently underway in the US. According to The Hollywood Reporter, new head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke revealed that the series will be in production in the next two years, targeting an airdate of 2021.

"We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime," said lifelong friends Payne and McKay in a statement.

Five seasons are apparently planned — while leaving room for a spinoff, of course — with the new reportedly show set in Middle-earth but exploring stories set before The Fellowship of the Ring. And as for casting, it's way too early for even rumours about who'll be eating second breakfasts, but expect them to start ramping up soon.